


Faithful

by ainstarry



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Dissociative Identity Disorder, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 07:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17299982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainstarry/pseuds/ainstarry
Summary: When Layana Wayne found out her husband had finally reached his limit.





	Faithful

You and Bruce had always been together for as long as you can remember. You were there when his parents were still alive breathing and you were there when they were buried deep in the ground.

 

You were never been close to Bruce when they were still alive but when they were gone and you saw how lost he looked you slowly crept into his world. You start with visiting him regularly, asking him how was he doing, had he been eating well? Bruce ignored you the whole time but you kept going anyways. You felt hurt that he wasn't replying to your questions or said anything but you pretended that you were talking by yourself the whole time. It soothes you that he had stayed the whole time even though he never replies back to you.

 

The time when Bruce finally opened up to you was when you hadn't visited him for three days. You were busy in those three days. Your brother had run away from home and your whole family was more than worried about him and forbid you from leaving because they were afraid that something might happen to you.

 

Your head was full of your brother that you forgot about Bruce. When your brother finally came back home out of homesick did you remember him that very night and sought out to visit him again. When you appear on the front door, it wasn't Alfred who greeted you. It was Bruce. His appearance was disheveled and he looked as if he was being chased and finally met his lifesaver.

 

He kept on asking where had you been and why hadn't you came back. That was the first time Bruce had talked to you after so long and the tight hug he gave you was full of desperation. You momentarily thought that he might think you were his lost parents but when he said your name you could hear how relief he was as he inhaled deeply in your long hair.

 

You knew it then that he will be alright. If you persuade him enough, he will be on the right track of recovery. And that was how you spent your years with him. You look out for Bruce and stood by him when he decides to become the vigilante of Gotham.

 

You didn't know how long have you been in love with Bruce but you had anyways. Even though you knew that it will end up nowhere. Bruce was too focused on being Batman and Bruce Wayne day and night that you knew he wouldn't look your way at all.

 

Bruce Wayne was a playboy millionaire and Batman was a man of justice. They were both two entirely different people and you knew that Bruce had gone too deep to differentiate it. Although while focusing on Bruce’s well being, you made a gap with Bruce to focus on your own life.

 

It took you by surprise when Alfred had called you and told you that he had adopted a boy and made him his sidekick. You were worried. Very. Bruce wasn't stable enough to raise a boy. Especially an orphan boy who had lost his parents and needed love and care for.

 

And so, you took up the job of raising Dick, the first robin, alongside Bruce and Alfred. You thought yourself more of a nanny but when Dick one day accidentally called you 'mom’, you knew you were more than just that.

 

All of the robins that Bruce had taken in all accidentally called you 'mom’. Dick and Jason were when they were absent-minded. Tim was when he had cried on your shoulders because of a nightmare. And Damian was when you were shot protecting an innocent child.

 

You didn't mind. You were actually quite happy about it. It felt like they were children of your own and you were more than happy to babe them with love. It makes you feel needed. It makes you feel closer to Bruce. But you knew you wanted to be even closer than that to Bruce. You wanted to be more to him than best friends.

 

So you invited Bruce to spent an evening with you once a week. A night where there were no boys. No masks. No violence. Just you and him. Sitting comfortably together talking heart to heart. You didn't think the moment together might end both of you somewhere. So it took you by surprise when Bruce pop out the question that both of you should be more than just friends.

 

It was everything you had hoped for. All the patience and hard work had finally led you there. You said yes and after two years of relationship, he finally asked you to marry him. It was beautiful. The most magical time of your life. The boys and Alfred grinned, “About bloody time”.

 

With the boys, Barbara, Stephanie and Cassandra, it felt like you already had a huge family and toddlers running around the house. Maybe that's why Bruce and you had never talked about having any children at all.

 

And maybe the lack of children of your own was the cause of Bruce straying away.

 

It shattered your heart when Alfred with tears streaming down his eyes told you that Bruce had cheated on you for quite some time now.

 

Cupping his hands on his face with slumped shoulders, he confessed to you, “I'm so sorry, Layana…. I tried talking him out of it. I tried so hard but he… he won't listen to me…. I'm so sorry. He told me not to tell you but I just can't…. I just can't….. you were always been there for him. For the both of us. That will be cruel to you…. Forgive me Layana”

 

The old man falls to his knees. His shoulders shake furiously and it broke your heart. Alfred had always been like a surrogate father to you and you just can't look at him at this state. You fell on your knees and hug the man tightly while patting him on the back.

 

When the tears had dried, he looks at you worriedly. He knew it wasn't right. It should have been you crying, not him. And it should have been him that comforted you, not you. You had no idea why you didn't cry as well maybe perhaps you saw Alfred crying and that it was enough to carry both of yours. Or perhaps it was that you already knew this would happen in the end that you weren't shocked at all.

 

But you knew that was a lie. You were shocked. You were furious, disappointed, heartbroken and sad. How could he do such a thing? How could he?

 

You would have stormed into his office and beat the crap of the man but instead of doing all of that you sat by the windowsill in the library and spent your entire day staring out of the window.

 

You were so dazed that you didn't realize at all it was dark when the light in the library was turned on and Bruce's voice came along with it did you finally woken up from your stupor.

 

“Why is it so dark in here? Layana, why are you sitting in the dark for?” You didn't react. “Sweetie, what's wrong?”

 

It was the gentleness in his voice that made you flinched. _Lies! It was all lies!_ Why bother with the sweet words when he knew he had no feelings for you? Why continue the facade? Why continue giving you endless hope when he knew it was empty? Why? Why?

 

“Why?”

 

Bruce halted on his tracks towards you. You could see his reflection on the window. Years of being around him had allowed you to read him like an open book. Both of you know it. Maybe that's why he schooled his face to reveal nothing to you. 

 

“Why what?”

 

You laughed dryly at his reply. How could he still act as if he hadn't done anything wrong?

 

“You tell me, Bruce. You're the greatest living detective in the world after all. You tell me what I'm talking about. I'm sure it's not that hard.”

 

You saw him grimaced by your sharp words and you knew that he knew what you were talking about. There was a look of worried on his face. How dare he made that face! How dare he!

 

“Layana, please. Let me explain”, he begged. Your heart prick at the sound of his voice. You will shout at him telling him that he had nothing more to explain. You will let your anger took control of you but the rational part of you convinced you to listen to what he should say.

 

You turn around to look at him with furrowed eyebrows, “Then, explain to me, Bruce. Explain to me how a man who spoke of justice as his principles cheated on his wife who, I tell you, was worried sick waiting for him to return while he was making out with another woman on top of a roof. Please do explain to me.”

 

Bruce bit his bottom lip and held his head low, “I know I messed up, Layana. And I'm very sorry about it. I-”

 

“Are you, Bruce? Are you really sorry? After what? The seventh time you slept with her?”, You stood up feeling your anger boiling in your stomach. “Or you were just saying that to make me forgive you and it was all just empty words.”

 

“Please, Layana, just listen to me”

 

“Listen?!”, your hands were already tightly fisted by your side and you could feel the prick from your long nails. “That was what I have done, Bruce. Listen to you. All this fucking time. But have you been listening to me, Bruce? No!”

 

You continued not giving the man a single second to soften your already broken heart with more empty words.

 

“I have always been by your side. Ever since your parents passed away. I had always been there for you. I looked after you. Cared for you. Loved you. I have done everything for you, Bruce! I left all my dreams behind just so I could care for you. All the things I could have achieved. All the relationships that could had happened. The life that was meant for me. I had all left them all for you. Why don't you think I hadn't gotten married all this time, huh? By the age of forty-five, why don't you think I hadn’t settled down yet? It was because of you, Bruce. I wanted to be with you. I don't want to be just your best friend. I want to be your wife. I want to be everything that you needed. So, tell me why, Bruce? Tell me why you give me so much hope yet, in the end, you still manage to let me down.”

 

He stood quietly.

 

“Tell me, Bruce.”

 

He remained quiet.

 

“Tell me goddammit!”

 

“I knew!”, he finally looks up at you. “I knew all this time that you loved me. I knew that the whole time you see me as more than a friend. I tried staying away from you, Layana, I tried giving you a chance to live a normal life. I tried so damn fucking hard. But you still managed to come back. Your relationships never last more than two years, Layana, and I know the last relationship you had you were proposed to. You could have lived a better life. You could have a family of your own. But in the end, you refused him.”

 

“And I knew I was the cause of it. You pressured me Layana. You made me think it was all my fault that you can't leave the children and me behind. You made me responsible for all the sacrifices you made, all the 'what if's’.”

 

“I'm no different than Joker. I'm unpredictable, uncontrollable. For fuck's sake, my mind think of me and Batman are two completely different people. And believe me when I say this, Layana, I love you. Bruce Wayne loves you but Batman loves Catwoman.”

 

For the first time that night, your eyes were blurry with tears and it took you a couple of deep breaths to finally manage to speak with clear words again.

 

“You know what's sad, Bruce? It's sad to look at your surrogate father kneeling in tears telling you your husband cheated on you. It's sad when you already knew this would have happened. I would have completely understood if you just told me that Batman was starting to be attracted to Catwoman. I would try to do something, anything. I could get to know Batman and Bruce Wayne. We could have gone to therapy or something. But again what do I know about cheating? I could’ve even had given up on you if only you told me.”

 

You began to walk towards the door making sure there was some distance between you and Bruce.

 

“Layana,” he reached out for you. Begged for you. You kept on walking past him.

 

“It was my fault too. I had put you on the spot. And look at what had become of both of us. In the end, it was Bruce Wayne who had paid the price. I'm sorry, Bruce. I really am. So let me lighten your guilt by walking out of your life. Don't worry about the children and I will stay in contact.”

 

You glance back towards him. As much it pains you to watch the tears in his eyes. You still walked out. It was more of a whisper when you say it but you knew Bruce could still manage to hear it. He fell on his knees tears streaming down his cheeks but unlike towards Alfred whom you kneeled and stayed, you continue to walk away.

 

Goodbye, Bruce.

 


End file.
